The Canary's Goodbye
by Ozymandiasruinz
Summary: Before Sara Lance left Starling, there was someone she needed to see.


She wasn't whole.

There were gaps, missing memories, she was missing. She could see it in her father's eyes every time he looked at her. She could remember him pointing a gun at her, telling her she wasn't his baby girl. He was right. Laurel said she needed time; that things would come back eventually. She was wrong. Or she was right and her father was wrong.

She didn't remember death. Didn't remember what happened after she fell off of that rooftop. Maybe there had been something, but she had forgotten it after she'd been resurrected. Maybe some secrets were only meant for the dead to know. It was strange; no one had asked her if there was something after. Possibly because they were too scared of her reaction…or too scared of knowing what was waiting for them.

She was missing something and the more she stayed around the team the more she knew she couldn't find it in Starling.

She'd packed her bags, intent on leaving. She really had. She'd bought the train ticket intent on visiting her mother in Central City before starting a trip around the world. She'd been sitting on a bench on the platform. The train had come and gone; she was still on the platform. Staring ahead of her, she tried to think why she hadn't left. No, she knew why she hadn't left; she just couldn't understand why.

Standing, she made her way through the darkened streets of Starling city. Pulling her hood over her head, she looked innocuous. If Ollie and Laurel were out on patrol, they wouldn't recognize her. She walked and walked until she came to the outside of a building. Silently, she scaled the wall, and stepped onto the balcony. The lights were off, the whole apartment dark. She got in with no real difficulty, which made her worry. Were they really so naïve to think they were secure?

Brushing aside these concerns she took a minute to look around. She noted a bowl with glass marbles on the coffee table. Frowning she moved forward to inspect it; there was a ring inside. A ring she couldn't help but recognize even though she'd never seen it in person. How many times had Laurel described it when she and Ollie were dating in hopes that one day it would be hers? How many times had Sara silently hoped it would be her finger that it sat on? She winced in shame, moving away from it. The ring was never meant for either of them and perhaps it was better that way. She didn't know the naïve girl who'd wanted to wear it anymore. She was dead, drowned somewhere in the North China Sea.

Moving away from the table, she snuck into the bedroom. There she was; alone. Sara knew Oliver had pulled her off Arrow duty that night because she had a big meeting with the board the next day. She'd stubbornly tried to stay awake though. There was an open book in front of her and her glasses were still on. She was snoring softly with her mouth open. Sara bit back a smile. She was so cute.

Coming to stand beside her, she hesitated before reaching for her glasses. There was a chance she'd wake, but it didn't bother Sara, instead a thrill ran through her at the idea. Pulling them off, she put them on the bedside table. Next she reached for the book, taking the bookmark from the night stand; she marked the page and closed the book, putting it next to the glasses.

The other woman stirred, Sara froze, but she didn't wake. She settled onto her side and sighed softly, closing her mouth. Sara watched as she fell into a deeper sleep. She was so unbearably sweet, good. Sara had seen the change in Oliver; the change being with her had created. A small selfish part of Sara craved that for herself. For a moment she stood there and imagined what it would be like to come home to this sight every night. To be able to come here, to be expected, to curl up next to her and hear her babble about her day, to watch her fall asleep, to come home. Sara hadn't noticed the tear rolling down her cheek. Wiping it away, she stepped back. This wasn't her life. This would never be her life. While she might have saved Oliver, there was too much darkness in Sara's soul, too many missing pieces.

Leaning forward, she gave the sleeping woman a kiss on the forehead that spoke all the words she couldn't say. Then she was gone, leaving the apartment and the city; a ghost vanishing into thin air.

When Felicity woke up the next morning, she found a feather on her pillow; a white canary feather.


End file.
